My Fun New Toys!

Canon Speedlite: 580EX II




Now that I'm more serious about photography, and increasing number of friends and referrals are asking me to shoot different photography sessions, I've decided that it's a good time to buy some additional "toys" to add to my gear collection!

Thinking of an umbrella for studio lighting or a softbox? Why not buy the Lastolite Umbrellabox for portability, and you get the best of both worlds? My second newest addition :)


I can now convert my dining room area into a small home studio in addition to my background support stands :) I will post more pictures of that soon, stay tuned...




Current gear list for the photog geeks :) BTW, I shoot exclusively with Canon:
- 5D
- XTi backup body
- 24-70mm f/2.8L with UV polarizer
- 70-200mm f/4L
- 60mm f/2.8 macro
- 18-55mm kit lens
- Speedlite 580EX II *NEW*
- Speedlite 430EX
- Ebay triggers for off camera lighting *NEW*
- Manfroto mini tripod
- Generic tripod
- Lastolite Umbrellabox and light stand *NEW*
- Calumet background stands x2, 9ft black seamless background paper *NEW*
- 18 gigs of memory
- extra batteries (A MUST!)

This may sound like a pretty long list to a newer newb than I! But I have more in mind that I would like to buy, even though my husband thinks I have enough stuff! In my defense, I'm investing in better gear so I can "give back" to my clients :) Don't get me wrong, it's not the gear that makes a good photographer, but its an extension of what we can do for our client!

Now to learn and PLAY...!

The Many Faces of Nancy =)

Nancy is my crazee, caring, spunky, and spontaneous BFF, who was my Maid of Honor for our wedding :) She came from Vancouver to visit this weekend, and we had a blast as always! I'm so thankful to have her in my life, and now that she's on her way back home, I will miss her tremendously and all our goofy times together :( I LOVE YOU EMMERS!!

I love colorful walls full of grafitti!


Me' n my BEST FRIEND!



Get ready for some of Nancy's hysterical pictures!












THE END!

The Final Product

In my opinion, post processing pictures is equally important (if not more) as opposed to creating a good photograph. In fact, I probably spend more time in front of the computer playing with my photos in Lightroom and Photoshop CS3, in comparison to the length of time it takes to do a photo session with my client! Is it true that a better photographer should need to spend less time on his/her photoshop skills? Most likely. But it's difficult to get the perfect exposure and lighting in a picture especially when time is usually against you, and there's only that one window of opportunity to capture that specific moment.

Here is a "BEFORE" picture of Barbara, notice how it lacks contrast and color:



Now, compare the above picture with the following:


This photograph is just an example of what Lightroom can do. I adjusted the contrast and curves, and the picture looks so much more outstanding than the original! I shoot exclusively in RAW format so I have total control when I'm post processing.

So there you go!

It's what I WANT, not what I NEED

...for now anyways :) I've been patiently waiting to buy the Canon G9 ever since I laid my eyes on it last year! A big and heavy DSLR camera is not always practical, especially when going on trips/vacations and a night out in town. I want an alternative so I don't have to lug around my Canon 5D, but still shoot in RAW format so I can manipulate and post process my photos. I cringe everytime I use my power shot SD400 when I'm carrying a point and shoot camera :( I rather not take pictures than to use that piece of junk, cuz I end up hating the picture quality anyway!

Here's what I WANT: Canon G9 with 12.1 MP and 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom


Isn't this a beauty?



The next purchase I would LOVE to have is the Canon 580EX II with more power and light, in comparison to my Canon 430EX. Auggie Chang says one flash is not enough...tell that to my husband! -----PURCHASED!!!!!!-----


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The lastolite umbrellabox, another addition I would like to add to my photography gear for studio lighting! -----PURCHASED!!!!!!-----



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Girls, forget the designer handbags! This is where I spend all my money--CANON gear! By the way, my birthday is coming up in March :) *wink*

Baby Session: Calianne at 9 months

Meet Cambodian princess Calianne!

My apartment went through a tornado after this baby session was done! Toys and baby clothes were everywhere, furniture was moved in different places, my lamp fell over and shattered the light bulb, and worst of all...the hot shoe of my 430EX broke when my 5D fell off the chair! But in the end, I am very satisfied with the baby pictures that I took for my coworker and would do it all over again!

Save the Date: Robyn + Jon = Part II

Robyn and Jon's Save the Date magnets that I helped design :)


If you've been following my posts since I've been blogging, some of you may remember the engagement session that I shot last October with my good friends Robyn and Jon. The past weekend, we went on a 'couples' trip to Las Vegas and stayed at the beautiful J.W. Marriot Resort, where they will be pronounced husband and wife in 8 more months! The following photos are part II of their engagement session! Have a look :)

Colors + Textures = Vibrant + Fun!

I had a fun and relaxing weekend in Vegas! The first thing we heard when we arrived on Friday morning was how the Monte Carlo hotel was up in flames! Luckily, no one was injured or hurt, and the fire was put out by the time we got to the strip. Here are a few pictures that I took at The Mirage hotel, I love their new renovations and the vibrant colors and textures!

The trendy club Revolution at The Mirage :)


The colorful entrance to the ticket showbox of Cirque Du Soleil!